Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-07-05

school were formally begun on SUNDAY In
the chapel OF the institution. The service
was opened Ut =. IN. with All anthem by
the choir OF the school, which, uader the
leadership of Prof. Lansinger, sang with re-
markabie spirit and precision. Then fol.
lowed hymn, the scripture lessons for the
day and prayer, after which Prof. Shaub
introduced Rev. J. Max Hark, II. d., OF Ian.
caster, who preached the bscralaureats ser.
mon.
DR.. Hark took rs his text the closing words
Of Romans llth chapter and lSIh verse: "l
magnify mine office" and based on them
q plea for culture ~ ipguished from mere
technical training o. the only legitimate work
and end OF our public school. tie said that
We are In the midst OF = tendency whose
etlect Is to degrade every human activity into
lar education has been caught in this same
short-sighted utilitArian current Our eSiuca.
tors above all others need to realize the wrong
and evil OF It They need to see clearly that
1t Is narrowing and Degrading of their work
to make 1t only means OF getting = living
for themselves, and its atm nothing moro
than to drill and train the rising
generations into skillful arithmeti clan .,
grammarians, penmen, measurers OF dry.
goods and cslculstors of profits into
machines for the making of money.
Education, and especially our common
school education, Is something higher and
nobler than this II not, II had better be
| abolished altogether. 1t is Tor the true
teacher TO % realize this, and to magnify his
Office by lifting II out OF the degrading current
into the noble and LOFTY sphere " hich OF right
IL is meant to Occupy.
Education is not cramming Of cut and.
dried facts into the mind of child rs into a
bag, not q mechanical drill for a few of the
ordinary occupations OF "practical liien but
1t is developing of human functions An q
iacuities winch God has implanted in the
child, which exist there in germ and need
only to be unfolded to develop into beautiful
blossoms OF womanhood aud grand fruits of
manhood. Later In life special technical
preparation will be in order; but in the stage
OF life with which the common school
teacher has to do, the work that is needed,
that Is essential even to the later "practical''
training, is far more fundamental and CON.
preheDsiva 1t Is nothing short of the task
OF developing little human animals into the
higher stage of men and women; to awaken
to LIE and sctivity the germs Of true man.
hood that lie latent in their breasts; to inspire
and form their distinctively human charac.
ters They will learn to 10 things correctly
afterwards, If only first they have been made Q
to be right beings
The preacher then dwelt upon how the
teacher, and how alone, he could thus
magnify bis office. He laid most stress upon
the necessity OF first ourselt being what you
want your pupils to be The greatest edu.
Gators in the world. the Thomas Arnolds, or
whose influence keeps on growing even after
they are dead, were not the most learned
scholars the most enthusiastically trained: they
could perhaps scarcely have passed the
final examination OF this Normal
school - but they were true men,
pure, large hearted, wholesouled, with noble
wellrounded, symmetrical characters. 1t
was their fulness Of manhood that inn pressed
their personality 40 wholesomely and inerad.
ica6ly upon every pupil who ever came
within reach of their influence. And 1t is
Just this quality, not taught in any normal
curriculum, not to he had anywhere but in
the perfect man, the divine ideal OF human ity,
II Is this "tneasure OF the fulness Of the
stature of Perfect man." this true and com.
Plete manlfh and womanliness, that is the
great need to-day among our educators, and
the secret OF success As q true teacher.
With few words OF direct counsel to the
thirty.one graduates DR.. Hsrk closed his ser.
mon, which had been listened to with close
attention by the large audience